


You Were Only Waiting For This Moment To Be Free

by Blind



Category: Glee
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Barista Blaine, Bullying, Dalton Academy, Eventual Sex, Eventual Smut, Happy Ending, Klaine, M/M, Musician Blaine, Protective Blaine, Teen Angst, The Lima Bean, Trust Issues, Violence, Warbler Blaine, William McKinley High School, Writer Kurt, innocent kurt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-25
Updated: 2017-03-19
Packaged: 2018-09-19 19:54:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 9,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9458078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blind/pseuds/Blind
Summary: Blaine works as a barista at The Lima Bean café, where a stranger comes in every day. He learns more about this stranger each visit, until finally he notices something is terribly wrong.





	1. His Name's Kurt

**Author's Note:**

> I decided that while my last story was fun to write, it wasn't really going anywhere plot-wise. That's when I got the inspiration for this one. Bear with me, this is going to be a ride.

"You look ridiculous in that, you know."

Blaine scoffed at his coworker's criticism.

"I still think it's quite flattering," he responded, smoothing down the apron that signified his recent employment.

He'd only been working at The Lima Bean for a week, and had already made friends- or at least acquaintences- with a coworker named Sam. He didn't know much at all about Sam, but figured by the dark circles under his eyes and light stubble that frequently went a few days unshaved that he was a very busy guy.

 _A junior shouldn't look so old,_ Blaine frequently found himself thinking,  _it just didn't seem fair._

"You look so tired all the time," Blaine blurted.

Sam chuckled to himself at Blaine's forwardness.

"School really takes it out of you, ya know?" He answered coolly, making himself a latte. It was a particularly slow day at the café, a Sunday afternoon. There were a few scattered people here and there, but none stayed for long.

That boy being the one exception.

The same boy who came in every day and sat in the farthest corner from where everybody else tended to hang around.

He was there again that Sunday, sipping his coffee and quietly scribbling in his notebook. Blaine always wondered what the stranger was always writing about.

"His name's Kurt," Sam spoke suddenly, bringing Blaine back from his thoughts, "you should really talk to him sometime, he could use it."

Blaine feigned a confused expression. "Who? I don't know what you're-"

"Don't play dumb, Anderson," Sam mused, "you stare at him every day, you're obviously into him or something."

"I do not _stare_."

Sam rolled his eyes.

"Of course you don't, silly me."

After their shift that day, they hung up their barista aprons and visor hats on their respective hooks.

Blaine had been thinking all day about what Sam had said. It hadn't been much, but it was a start. His name was Kurt. He couldn't help but want to know more.

"How do you know him?" He asked as Sam held the door open for him.

"Huh?" Sam raised an eyebrow at him, "oh, Kurt you mean?"

"Yeah, Kurt." Mumbled Blaine, realizing with embarassment that he hadn't said anything else in the past hour or so.

"Well, he goes to my school, McKinley High. He's in my grade, and he's uh, he's in Glee club with me." The last part rushed out as if he was embarrassed to admit it aloud.

Blaine nodded, his thoughts settling on the phrase "glee club".

"You know, we have one of those at Dalton. We're pretty good, you might have heard of us." A proud smile tugged at the corners of his lips. He wasn't really the bragging type, but if there was one thing to be proud of it was the Warblers.

Sam couldn't help but smile back, especially when Blaine's face lit up as he answered, "yeah, of course I've heard of you guys."

A short-lived silence fell over them before Sam cleared his throat.

"So, I'll um, see you tomorrow Blaine."

Blaine nodded and fished his car keys out of his pocket. He'd gained a lot of new information today; Kurt sings and is a junior, and Sam's heard of the Warblers.

 _If Sam has heard of us, maybe Kurt has too..._ The thought gave him butterflies. After a short drive, he pulled up into his driveway. His house was bigger than two average houses stacked on top of each other. The reason being that both of his parents were high up in the business world. They were hardly ever home, and when they were they ignored or nagged their son.

Blaine had gotten used to it over the years, though the lonely feeling had grown worse when his older brother Cooper moved out a few years before. At least with someone else other than his parents, being home was tolerable. Nowadays it just sucked.

At the age of 16, his closest friends were no more than acquaintences, and he'd never had a boyfriend. He frequently dreamt of meeting the perfect guy who would come along and sweep him off his feet, but with everyone he knew having dated at least one person at this point in their lives, it was difficult to not feel discouraged.

Still however he woke up every morning determined to make each day better than the last.


	2. If I Wasn't Alone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really short one this time, I promise it won't always be like this. Thank you for your understanding!

Kurt left the café a few minutes before closing time, as he always did. He rubbed his hands together and breathed warm air on them. It was getting colder every night now. 

The Lima Bean offered him a safe place to go after school and to stay hidden until nighttime, but eventually he had to face reality and go home.

Unfortunately, walking home was the most dangerous part. Sunday nights especially, because Football games at Mckinley got out at about 9 on these nights.

The football players were, for the most part, not very friendly towards people. In Kurt's case, not only were they unfriendly; they wanted to rip him apart with their bare hands.

"Neanderthals." He grumbled at the thought of them, kicking a rock out of his path on the sidewalk. He'd been slammed into lockers, punched, thrown into dumpsters, slushied, swirlied, all of it. But the worst of it came outside of school grounds. Luckily however, the closest call had only been a few drunk football players banging on his windows and doors after he had barely escaped them and slipped into his house. He didn't want to think of what would happen if they ever caught him outside of school.

_Maybe all of this wouldn't be so scary if I wasn't alone..._

He shook his head quickly, dismissing that train of thought.

_I don't need anyone._

Upon hearing voices in the distance, he froze in his tracks. He looked around frantically trying to find the source, but it was too dark to see anything. He took a step backwards, preparing to bolt at the sight of a red McKinley letterman jacket, but soon the voices faded away with none to be seen.

He let go of a breath he hadn't realized was being held in and forced himself to take a step forward. Then another, and another, until he had willed himself back up to a normal pace.

Instinctually, Kurt was cautious. Being the only out gay in high school, he had to always watch his back. With his father Burt around to give him advice and help him through everything, it had been so much easier. But since Burt had gotten back from the hospital, he wasn't himself, and Kurt felt more alone and scared than before. Of course Rachel would always be there for him, if he wanted to talk about boys or songs that is. And Mercedes had his back, when it came to fashion trends. Lately, the company of his friends had just been making him feel more alone than ever because nobody knew what it felt like to be him.

Finally reaching his doorstep, Kurt quickly unlocked the door with a key that'd been zipped away in his jacket pocket. He slipped through the door and slammed it closed, twisting shut both locks on it.

He dropped his bag on the living room carpet and collapsed onto the couch, falling asleep almost instantly. Paranoia takes a lot out of a guy.


	3. As Long as There's a Next Time

After School Monday, Blaine got in his car and took off towards the café with much more enthusiasm than usual. When Blaine was interested in something, he wanted to know everything about it; watch it, learn about it, understand it.

In this case, that something was Kurt.

Something about the boy's mysteriousness captured him. Something about the way he distanced himself from the crowd, how his gaze never left his notebook; it was strangely alluring.

"Hey Blaine," Sam tossed him his apron as soon as he opened the door.

"Sam, you're here early." Blaine commented, managing to catch the apron dispite Sam's awful aim.

"No glee club today," he shrugged, twisting the lid onto a customers' coffee. "Kurt," he called, pushing the cup towards the edge of the counter.

There he was, sat in the same corner as last time, scribbling away in his notebook.

When he heard Sam call his name, he didn't even lift his gaze. Focusing on the floor in front of him, he clutched his notebook tightly to his chest with one hand, and once he reached the counter, took the coffee in his other.

"Good to see you, Kurt," Sam spoke in an especially soft tone to him, as if he was afraid of scaring him off.

Kurt lifted his chin just enough to see Sam's face through the wispy hair falling in front of his own.

"You too."

Blaine had never heard a gentler voice than Kurt's. He was sure he'd have missed it if he hadn't been intently focused on the two's exchange.

As soon as he'd spoken the words, Kurt was turned back around and on his way to his table.

Sam heaved a sigh, drumming his fingertips rythmatically on the counter. "Poor kid," he mumbled.

"So he's pretty shy, huh?" Blaine commented, moving closer from where he'd been watching the interaction.

Sam shook his head a bit sadly. "Not in glee club he isn't. But outside of that room he's like a lost kitten." Sam left Blaine to take another customer's order. Blaine watched kurt settle back into his seat and once again, begin to write in the notebook.

Curiosity overcame Blaine, and he straightened out his bowtie as he went around the back of the counter and towards Kurt's table.

Sam watched him with a look of concern, unsure how the skiddish boy would react to a stranger approaching him.

Blaine folded his hands behind his back, and remembering the gentle tone Sam had used just minutes ago, spoke up.

"Hi, Kurt."

Kurt's eyes darted up from his page and his arm moved to cover it.

"Um, y-yes?" Kurt stuttered slightly.

_Oh, well shit_ , Blaine thought, realizing he hadn't planned the introduction at all.

After a moment of hesitation, he slid into the seat opposite of Kurt's. It was obvious that Kurt was trying to hide his fear, to act casual in a situation that didn't make sense to him, and he stared at Blaine waiting for something to happen.

"I'm Blaine." He said softly, offering a hand.

Kurt glanced warily at the hand, then back up to Blaine's face.

"Why..um..." Kurt searched his brain for something to say. Why was this stranger just sitting here _smiling_ at him?

Realizing that Kurt wasn't going to shake his hand, he took it back and folded it with his other one underneath the table.

Sam, watching from behind the counter, facepalmed.

"I just um..wanted to introduce myself," Blaine responded to the unfinished question, picking up on Kurt's absolute confusion.

Realizing that he had created an intensely awkward situation, Blaine cleared his throat quietly.

"I know it sounds strange, but I just..kind of felt like I had to meet you."

Kurt was attentive to Blaine's every word an d expression. He was interested in what this stranger was saying to him now that he realized that he wasn't a threat.

"It's not strange." Kurt murmured.

_ His first full sentence to me,  _ Blaine thought _ , Good progress. _

A minute passed by of the two exchanging occasional awkward glances as Kurt wondered what the hell this guy wanted from him and Blaine wondered the same.

"Well hey, nice to meet you," Blaine said suddenly, offering a bright smile, "I'll see you tomorrow." He stood up and left the table, tucking his hands deep into his apron pockets and mentally criticizing himself.

_ You complete vegetable,  _ he thought to himself, _ you hardly said a word to him. _

_ "So what if I'm a vegetable,"  _ he grumbled under his breath, once again back behind the counter.

Sam shot him a concerned look, but Blaine was in his own head right now and likely wouldn't be up for explaining. Maybe tomorrow he'd try to figure out what was going on with him.

 

The next day at work, Blaine tried to avoid even looking at Kurt. He'd never been so nervous talking to someone before yesterday, never not known what to say. Kurt was just so different from anyone he'd ever met before.

And the worst part? He was _cute_.

_ How on earth am I supposed to talk to the guy when he's staring up at me with those bright blue eyes? _

Though mildly frustrated by his intrusive thoughts throughout the work day, he managed to get by stealing glances at the boy. A few times that afternoon, Kurt had leaned his head against the window and dozed off a little.

Blaine noted how his lips parted slightly when he slept, and how it was the cutest thing he'd ever seen.

Sam took notice to Blaine's growing interest in Kurt, and teased him about it throughout the shift. Though seemingly annoyed at Sam, Blaine enjoyed his banter, as it helped significantly in lightening his own mood. He realized that his first impression, in all of its painful awkwardness, didn't matter. As long as there was a next time.


	4. He Had a Knife

Friday came, and it had been four days since he'd failed hopelessly at flirting with Kurt.

Usually, Blaine was the master of flirtatiousness. With nothing more than a wink or a nod of his head in a guy's direction he left them swooning in his wake. However, he didn't have feelings for any of them. Not like he had for this beautiful boy.

He'd spent mornings in school daydreaming of his face, evenings at work begging himself to try to talk to him again, and nights in bed wondering what it would feel like to hold him. In his mind he realized that he hardly knew Kurt-hell, the guy could be straight- but in his heart he didn't care.

"Blaine!" Sam's sharp voice shattered his thoughts.

Blaine blinked in confusion, looking up at Sam from where he was leaning on his elbows over the counter.

"Wassup?"

Sam laughed at his confusion.

"Well dude, wassup is that you've been staring at Kurt for 5 minutes straight now, and I've tried snapping you out of it twice."

Blaine cocked his head slightly to the side.

"What do you mean I've been-" He began, turning to look back at Kurt.

There he was, fast asleep again, this time slumped over the table with his face nuzzled into the crook of his elbow.

"I can't help it that he's cute..." Blaine mumbled, stuffing his hands deep into his apron pockets.

Sam shook his head, "man, you've got it bad."

As Blaine returned his gaze to Kurt, he realized something was off. He didn't have a cup of coffee yet. Typically, he'd have gotten a coffee a while ago.

"Is he okay?" Blaine questioned, motioning his head in Kurt's direction.

Sam was covering a Frappuccino in whipped cream when he heard the question, and without looking up responded, "I'm sure he's fine. I mean, he came in here and fell right asleep, so he's probably just real tired."

Concern immediately took over Blaine's features. Kurt had fallen right asleep, no coffee...then he realized something; he didn't have his notebook with him.

"Something's wrong," he mumbled under his breath, quickly slipping around the counter and briskly walkingp over to Kurt's side.

He squatted down next to the table to be at eye-level with the sleeping boy.

"Kurt," he whispered, reaching out a hand to touch his shoulder. As soon as Blaine's hand made contact with his shoulder, Kurt jolted awake, his weary eyes attempting to focus as he blinked the sleep away.

"Hey hey Kurt, it's oka-" He froze mid-sentence, noticing something was terribly wrong.

One of Kurt's wide, doe-like eyes was bruised purple underneath and bloodshot. His lip was busted open and blood stained his chin. Worst of all, there was a bleeding gash on the side of his neck.

Kurt, suddenly realizing what Blaine was staring at, quickly covered his neck with a hand.

"Kurt...what..what happened..."

"N-nothing!" Kurt said hurriedly. "I f-fell down the stairs in m-my house..I'm r-really clumsy and I-"

"Kurt, I'm not stupid," Blaine whispered, reaching out to tenderly touch the side of his face. To his amazement, Kurt let the soft fingertips brush against his cheek, his eyes welling up with tears.

The mysterious boy seemed smaller than ever, his entire body trembling. He wrapped his arms defensively around himself when Blaine stood, and his every muscle tensed when Blaine sat down on the bench next to him.

"Kurt, trust me," Blaine's voice was softer than ever, "tell me what happened."

Kurt subconsciously leaned away from Blaine, staring at him with wide eyes, but he slowly began to speak.

"I was..just leaving my, my house..this morning..." he started, his voice shaky and his gaze averted to the table.

"There's this, horrible guy..he wants to..to hurt me.." he blinked away a few more tears, his voice becoming raspy, "I looked around, I didn't see him..I always look...and he, w-when I turned to lock my front door...out of n-nowhere he..and these other guys, they grabbed me..." Kurt's voice broke off and he stared down at the table, eyes full of tears that were afraid to fall.

"They held m-me down a..and...the one who's the worst, who h-hates me the most, he had a knife." Blaine's eyes travelled down to the deep cut on Kurt's neck as he made the connection. He slowly and gingerly slid his arm around Kurt's waist, hoping the gesture would make him feel protected, safe...loved.

The feeling of physical affection pushed Kurt's emotions over the edge and he broke down, violent sobs racking his fragile body.

Blaine's protective instincts took over, despite how careful he'd been with his actions for fear of scaring off kurt. He wrapped both arms around the shaking boy and gently pulled him into a hug. They sat there, Blaine rubbing circles into Kurt's back with his hand, until finally the tears subsided, and so did the shaking. Blaine looked down at Kurt to see him fast asleep in his arms.


	5. Good Night, Kurt

When Kurt awoke, he was laying in the same booth wrapped up in a jacket with his head resting on a balled-up apron. He buried his nose in the apron and inhaled the scent.

 _Blaine_.

It smelled like hair gel and coffee; his signature scent.

Kurt blinked the sleepiness out of his eyes, listening to the distant conversation of what sounded like Blaine and Sam.

"We can't just leave him here."

"Well obviously he isn't safe going back to wherever he was, Sam."

"Dude the manager would kick both of our asses if he found out we let some guy sleep here."

"Then I'll just have to take him somewhere he'll be safe." Blaine said sharply, and Kurt wondered vaguely what that meant as he listened to the approaching footsteps.

"Kurt," Blaine whispered, his hand barely touching his face before he jerked away quickly.

"Oh, um, sorry," he apolagized. Kurt stared up at him questioningly, waiting for an explanation as to why he was wrapped up in Blaine's jacket, asleep in the café after closing time-

 _Oh shit_.

"Goddammit," Kurt hissed, quickly scrambling to get out of the booth. It was dangerous for him to be out this late; the jocks were always throwing parties and getting drunk at this time of night, especially on Fridays.

"Kurt, hey, wait a minute," Blaine pleaded, stepping quickly between Kurt and the door, "please, come with me. You'll be safe."

The suggestion shocked Kurt. His eyes darted between Blaine and the door before he turned his gaze to Sam. Blaine realized that he was silently asking for Sam's approval, considering they had known each other much longer. He recognized that at Sam's word, Kurt would trust him.

Sam nodded, giving Kurt the all clear.

Turning back to face Blaine, Kurt reluctantly untensed his shoulders.

A smile broke out on Blaine's face, and he pulled the door open, gesturing for the hesitant teenager to go in front of him.

Kurt was extremely nervous getting into the car. He knew nothing about this guy, other than the fact that he cared, and that was even more terrifying.

Wondering what could be going through the guy's head, he kept his eyes trained wearily on Blaine the entire drive.

_Why the hell would he want to help me?_

"We're going to my house, by the way," Blaine had said when they first got in the car, "you'll be safe there, and if you want to you can leave in the morning."

The words ran through his mind again and again, and he desperately tried to process the thought of someone caring about him so much.

 _I wonder if he's gay_.

Kurt shook his head, trying to get rid of the intrusive thought that had been reoccurring in his mind since he first saw Blaine. What could he say, Blaine was gorgeous. His beautiful brown eyes, his eyebrows that showed everything he was feeling, his huge, dorky smile...

"Shut up," Kurt growled under his breath.

Blaine, pulling into the driveway, shot Kurt a quick eyebrow-raised glance, but didn't question it.

"Will you're parents care?" He questioned quietly, stepping out of the car and taking in the unfamiliar setting.

Blaine laughed, shaking his head and clicking the lock on his car keys.

"Please, they only know I live here because of the food that occasionally disappears. They won't notice a thing."

Kurt felt a confusing rush of emotions going into the house. It was gigantic, elegant... expensive. For a breif moment he considered the consequences of taking all that he could grab and high-tailing it out of there, but his conscience would never let him get away with it. His mind wandered to the thought of his dad, laying in bed at home, alone.

His father Burt had been on medications ever since he'd started having heart problems nearly a year ago. He never even noticed Kurt's presence anymore, and it killed him inside. He knew however in his heart that at least this way his father wouldn't have to suffer.

"Kurt, sweetheart, why are you crying?"

Kurt sniffled quietly and wiped his tears away on his sleeve.

"Allergies," he mumbled defensively, choosing to ignore the affectionate nickname.

Blaine led him up a flight of stairs, and then another.

"My parents sleep on the first floor," he explained, "when they're home that is. Floor three, however," he threw his arms out in a dramatic gesture, "is aaaall mine."

Kurt's eyes went wide, exploring the floor cautiously. He peaked around the corners as if expecting the football team to come running out of one of the rooms. Finally, he came to a room at the end of the hall. He opened the door slowly and peaked inside.

This room looked nothing like the rest of the house.

The walls were painted a dark blue, and band posters were tacked up on every wall. There was a lava lamp and a tv sitting on top of an overflown dresser. Books and comics were spilling out of a bookcase in the corner, next to the bed-which suddenly looked really comfortable as he yawned loudly.

Just then, Blaine brushed past Kurt with an armful of supplies.

"You like it?" He flashed a cocky smile, sitting on the bed with a bounce. "This is my room." He patted the bed next to him.

"Come here, " he coaxed, "we have to clean you up."

Kurt, though extremely hesitant to let his guard down and allow someone to help him, took an awkward step closer. One cute, friendly smile from Blaine was all it took to get him sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Hold still, this will hurt a little bit," Blaine mumbled. He poured rubbing alchohol on a towel and gently reached up to touch the gash on Kurt's neck. He winced painfully in response, cowering away slightly with his eyes squeezed shut.

"Shhh, it'll be over soon." 

Kurt hated the way that Blaine seemed to care so deeply for him. He hated the soft touch of his fingers, the soothing tone of his voice, he hated that he cared like this because nobody ever had before.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked in a tone that he didn't mean to come off so harsh.

Blaine seemed completely unphased, as if he'd been expecting the question. Avoiding eye contact and continuing to clean the wounds, he responded simply.

"Because you're like me."

Kurt scoffed harshly, "like you? How? You have everything."

Blaine shook his head slowly, finally meeting Kurt's icy blue eyes.

"I've been beat up like this, at a dance one time." He answered, throwing the towel into a basket in the corner of the room.

Kurt, slightly taken aback, gave him an inquisitive look.

"Why would anyone do that to _you_?"

Blaine kicked off his shoes and rummaged through the drawers of his dresser, obviously stalling.

"I don't like to talk about it really-"

"I'll tell you why they did this to me if you tell me what happened to you." Kurt blurted out, not even thinking about the words before they left his mouth.

 _Shit,_ he thought _, what if I tell him I'm gay and he kicks me out? I have no idea where I am, how would I get home-_

"It's because I'm gay."

Kurt's heart pounded loudly in his chest.

"You... I-I... that's w-why I was um, beat up too..." He spoke quietly. Suddenly he felt connected to Blaine, like he wasn't a stranger anymore.

Blaine sat down next to Kurt on the bed once again, finally looking up at his face. They sat in silence for a few moments before Blaine reached his hands up and cupped Kurt's face in them gently, quickly leaning in and connecting their lips.

Kurt's fingers curled into the sheets and his eyes slipped closed. He breathed in Blaine's scent and relaxed his shoulders, letting the butterflies fill his stomach until Blaine's lips broke away from his. Kurt felt his cheeks warming up and knew that he must have looked completely bewildered- because he was.

The corner of Blaine's mouth curved into a sweet, awkward smile, and Kurt couldn't help but mirror it. For a moment he'd let his walls break down, but out of fear they slowly began to rebuild themselves.

"Can I... maybe have clothes t-to sleep in... please?" Kurt spoke hardly above a whisper, averting his eyes for fear of getting lost in Blaine's again.

Blaine nodded, understanding Kurt's reaction, though difficult as it was to not take him ignoring it personally. He handed Kurt a thin grey t-shirt and soft pajama pants. He nodded as a thanks and left for the bathroom.

When he came back to the room, Blaine was gathering a pillow and some blankets from his bed. He was wearing a shirt identical to the one he'd given kurt, but was wearing boxers instead of pajama pants, and motioned to a couch on the other side of his huge room.

"Couch over there pulls out into a bed," he told Kurt, tossing the pillow and blanket onto it. He pulled a lever and pulled the couch out to its full extension. "It's just as comfy as the bed. I just figured you'd rather sleep here than in a stranger's bed." He laughed nervously, for Kurt's sake trying to ignore the fact that they'd just kissed. If Kurt didn't want to talk about it, Blaine was willing to wait until he was ready.

Kurt nodded his thanks and climbed onto the newly formed bed, then Blaine flicked the lamp off. In the complete darkness, Blaine kissing him was all that ran through Kurt's mind. The scene replayed itself again and again, and he clutched a pillow tightly to his chest. Feelings were exhausting.

"Good night, Kurt." Blaine called softly from across the room.

"Good night, Blaine," he answered, quietly adding, "thank you."


	6. A Really Gay Truck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry it's been a little while. I'm very much grounded and have been flooded with school work..ugh. Anyways, thanks for reading and please let me know what you think in the comments!

_"Hey, g-give that back!" Kurt snapped, trying to grab his notebook back from the jock who'd stolen it from his school satchel. "Hm, what's this, your little fag diary?" The word stung like a knife in his chest. "N-no-" he choked out, tears welling up in his eyes. He reached out for it once more, but another pair of strong hands slammed against his chest, ramming his back into the door of his house. The air quickly rushed out of his lungs and he fell to his knees, coughing and trembling violently, watching as they tore into his notebook and shredded pieces fell to the ground in front of him._

Kurt woke up with a harsh gasp of air, chest heaving, and tears staining his cheeks. He glanced around frantically, forgetting where he was until his eyes adjusted to the dark. Moonlight poured in through the blinds of a large window and illuminated the soft outline of Blaine's sleeping figure.

His gaze fell on Blaine's peaceful face. A few strands of hair had worked free of the gel and curled loosely around his ears and onto his forehead. His arm was thrown over a pillow and one of his feet stuck out over the edge of the bed. Kurt smiled, whiping the tears from his face with the hem of the t-shirt he was wearing; Blaine's t-shirt, he remembered, glancing down at where it nearly fell off his shoulder. Blaine's build was certainly different than his own, much more muscular.

A strange sound came from accross the room and Kurt quickly looked back up at Blaine. His jaw was slack and he was mumbling incoherently in his sleep.

_He's so cute..._

That's when the realization hit him like a truck.

A really gay truck.

_He kissed me._

_This gorgeous, kind, caring boy kissed me...and I ignored it._

He was suddently struck with guilt as the scene replayed in his head. He sat awake the rest of the night, thinking about how rejected Blaine must feel.

Kurt was lost deep in thought when he heard the bed creaking and directed his attention back to that side of the room.

Blaine stood up from his bed and stretched his arms up towards the ceiling, a loud yawn echoing through the room. When the dark haired boy turned to look at him, he quickly shut his eyes. He heard footsteps coming his way and tried his best to remain still. When the footsteps passed him, he cracked his eyes open curiously. He'd walked past Kurt and into what he assumed was a bathroom.

A few minutes later, upon hearing a shower starting up, Kurt assumed it was safe to get up and explore a bit. He slipped out from the covers and made his way over towards Blaine's dresser. On top of it sat a surprising lack of family photos; only two. One with a man who was dressed very formally, and another with a woman who was dressed just as much. They didn't look so much like family pictures as they did uncomfortable yearbook photos of a high schooler with his teachers.

He examined the dresser, filled with plaine t-shirts and an underwhelming variety of jeans. Glancing down at what he himself was wearing, Kurt realized that he was in no position to judge.

After examining the dresser, he found a small closet nearby. He flicked on a lightswitch, revealing many much nicer clothes. He sighed a breath of relief, running his fingers along the more familiar fabrics. He had blazers, button ups, and a very extensive collection of bowties. A few pairs of shoes were scattered on the floor next to a pile of sheets with something poking out from under them. He kneeled down to examine the strange object, and once he moved the sheets back a beautiful keyboard was revealed. It certainly didn't look new, but it was in great condition. He stared at it in awe. If Blaine was a musician, then this was a sealed deal.

"Find anything interesting in there?"

Kurt jumped when he heard Blaine's voice suddenly, quickly standing up to flick off the light.

"I'm, um, s-sorry.." Kurt stammered, staring down at the floor.

Blaine laughed disarming.

"It's fine, Kurt. Come here, let me check on your neck."

When Kurt finally lifted his gaze to meet Blaine's face, his mouth fell open in shock.

Blaine's hair was a mess, shiny curls sticking out in every direction. Water dripped from the curls hanging down in his face, and beads rolled down his neck, disappearing under the new shirt he was wearing.

"I know, it's kinda crazy." Blaine joked, walking over to Kurt since he seemed frozen in place.

"No, it's beautiful." Kurt mumbled, still staring at his dark hair.

_ Oh shit. _

"I mean, if that isn't weird to say or..anything, I just, the, v-volume and stuff.."

Blaine just shook his head with a quiet chuckle and picked up his first-aid supplies, reaching for the bandages wrapped around Kurt's neck.

Kurt winced at every touch, not only because it hurt, but because Blaine was this close to him and all he'd been thinking about all morning was them kissing. He refused to look at Blaine the whole time, even when he attempted to make small talk, such as "it looks much better", and "it'll be healed soon enough".

"Feel any better yet?"

Kurt shrugged his shoulders, suddenly reminded of the many bruises all over his body by how much it hurt.

"Well hey, you're welcome to stay here as long as you need to." Blaine's handsome smile put Kurt at ease, though he realized he couldn't stay forever. His father at home was being taken care of by a doctor and was getting better every day, but just because he didn't need Kurt didn't mean he wasn't going to be there for him. Still, he thought, it was so nice being with Blaine.

"I'm sorry I ignored you." He blurted out without thinking about it, heat quickly rising to his cheeks.

"Huh?" Clearly confused, Blaine turned from where he was putting the supplies away to see Kurt's face.

"When you..y-you...um, you kissed me? And..I'm s-sorry for ignoring it, I just..you're the first person who's ever k-kissed me..."

Blaine's eyes widened and his expression was suddenly even more sincere than before.

"Oh, Kurt I'm sorry, I didn't know-"

"Why are you sorry?" Kurt asked, stepping closer to him with sudden confidence, "I wouldn't want it to be anyone else."

Now Blaine's face was flushed pink too, and they both stood staring at each other for a moment before Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist and pulled him into another kiss.

This one was more passionate, and Kurt felt dizzy as he stood clutching Blaine's t-shirt in his hands.

Kurt was the first to break away, taking a step backwards to steady himself. Too many feelings were coursing through his body that he'd never experienced before, and he realized with a hint of fear that he was falling in love.

"I really um..enjoyed that." Kurt laughed softly, smiling sweetly at him.

Blaine looked ecstatic, smiling back with that handsome smile. 

Yawning loudly, Kurt suddenly felt exhausted, as if all of his energy had gone into that one moment.

"Can I uh, go back to sleep?" He asked with a quiet laugh.

"Of course, sweetheart."

Kurt's heart swelled with emotions at the name, and he crawled back under the covers of his temporary bed with a big smile on his face.


	7. Boyfriend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there, so I can't tell if people are actually reading this story or if anybody actually likes it? I'd like to ask you, whoever is reading this, to give me feedback in the comments, even if it's as simple as letting me know you're reading it. I'd like to continue this story and develop it into something much more interesting, first I just want to see if anybody is interested so far in sticking around. Thanks so much for reading, have a lovely day! ♡

Blaine watched as the smaller boy's muscles relaxed and his breathing slowed until he was once again fast asleep. Grabbing his phone off the bedside table, he clicked on a playlist of some quiet acoustic melodies. He closed his eyes, listening to the strumming of guitars that never failed to relax him completely.

Before even realizing he'd drifted asleep, Blaine woke up to see the fold-out bed Kurt had been sleeping on was empty. Muttering curses to himself, he searched the room briefly, then the bathroom. When he came back into his room, he noticed his phone buzzing.

A text from an unknown number lit up his screen.

**Thanks for everything, I have your number if I need it. -Kurt**

 

 

Monday after school, after breaking the speed limit a few times to get there, Blaine parked in his usual spot behind the café. He wasted no time getting through the door, grabbing the apron and tying it around his waist.

"A bit jumpy today, are we?"

At Sam's voice, Blaine swiveled on the heels of his shoes to face him with an extremely joyful expression.

"Sam, dude, it was amazing oh my god, I kissed him, er-like, we kissed, I guess, twice. Oh my goodd it was like-"

"Ah ah no no I don't want the deets, dude," Sam interjected playfully, covering his ears, "but I'm glad to see you so happy."

The front door opened, the bells hung above it chiming softly. Kurt stepped in quietly, carefully. He seemed to move much different now, more guarded than before if it was even possible. His eyes darted around him like a rabbit that could smell foxes surrounding him, but he couldn't see them. His fingernails dug into the faux leather strap of his school bag, which now had a tear on one side, though Kurt had stitched it up pretty well.

When his wary eyes met Blaine's, his shoulders visibly relaxed, his muscles becoming less tense the closer he got to him.

"Kurt, I'm so happy to see you, I've been thinking about y-"

Blaine's sentence was cut off by Kurt's hands coming up to cup his face, and his soft lips colliding against his own. This kiss was much less gentle than the two they'd exchanged before.

_I guess he's been thinking about me, too._

 

Kurt broke away first, a bright blush rising on his cheeks and his breath heavier.

"I thought about what you've done for me," he began quietly, "and..it's more than anyone's ever done for me in my entire life."

Blaine's heart raced. The thought of a future with this gorgeous boy swirled in his head, and for once since first seeing him it felt like it was within reach.

"You took care of me, and I...well, will you um, hang out with m-me after work today..?" Kurt's nervous stutter broke in as he spoke, but he looked into Blaine's eyes with determination, like this was something he really wanted.

"Yeah, of course!" Blaine responded a bit too eagerly, eliciting a giggle from the shyer boy.

"Okay, we'll go together then when your shift is over. And, you know..you're lucky I'm into you." Kurt's remark, though accompanied by a deeper blush and a quiet laugh, showed his personality shining through dispite all of the fear he's had to deal with. Blaine's heart ached for him, how he had obviously been forced to grow up too fast. He could see it in every aspect of Kurt; his caution, his intelligence, his anxiety, all of it was the result of having to become an adult when he was still just a teenager.

"I know I am." Blaine breathed, carefully reaching out to hold Kurt's hand for a brief moment before-

"AHEMM," Sam cleared his throat dramatically from behind the counter, "Mr. Anderson I'm gonna need you to report back to your station, and Kurt, here's your coffee." He held out the cup to him, shaking his head when Kurt reached for his bag.

"It's on me, bud. You've had it pretty rough lately."

Kurt smiled greatfully and took the coffee, nodding a goodbye to Blaine and settling into his seat in the back of the café.

Blaine gave Sam his big innocent grin, spinning on his toes as he danced back around the counter.

"I think I might have a boyfriend."


	8. You're Safe Now

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter comes straight from my heart. I kinda poured my soul into this one. Enjoy ♡

The sun was only beginning to set by the time Blaine's shift was over, and Kurt had fallen asleep leaned against the window as he frequently did. It amazed Blaine how he was always so tired, even with all of the coffee he drank.

After saying goodbye to Sam, he took his keys and woke Kurt up with a gentle shake.

"So, where are we going?" Blaine finally asked as they climbed into his car.

"Is my house okay? I um, I want you to meet my dad."

Nodding enthusiastically, he set off driving, letting Kurt direct him.

He parked the car on the street, since the driveway was full.

"Looks like the nurse is here," Kurt commented, nodding towards the second car in the driveway.

Before opening the door, he turned to face the black-haired boy, his expression becoming a bit more serious.

"Um, so, remember how I told you we..can't get the police involved with all of this?"

Blaine nodded solemnly, he remembered all too well. He'd begged Kurt that one night at his house, begged him for so long to tell the police. He'd offered no explanation as to why they couldn't tell anyone, but the tears streaming down the boy's face would have to suffice for one.

"Well..I, my father, he's the reason. If the police came here and saw the condition that he's in, they'd take me away from him," Avoiding eye contact as he spoke, he continued, "so, just, please don't bring up the whole... incident. I didn't tell him the full story, he would've called the police himself. He wouldn't understand, he'd think he was doing what's best for me, but right now, what's best for me is being here."

Blaine's heart sank at his words.

_Is he staying here because of me?_

Guilt tugged at his heart, and the faint beginnings of tears stung at his eyes. Regardless of his emotions, he nodded his understanding and followed him into the house. He watched as Kurt turned around quickly and fastened a series of locks on the door.

_This must have been going on for a long time..._

"Dad!" Kurt called out into the strangely empty-feeling house. When there was no answer, Kurt quickly climbed the staircase, Blaine close behind him.

"Dad, are you oka-" Kurt froze in the doorway.

His dad was kissing the nurse.

"OH," Kurt squeaked, taking a step backwards as his cheeks grew hot with embarrassment.

"K-Kurt! Hey kiddo, you're home early!"

The nurse was a beautiful woman, blonde and fairly short, and she looked to be about Kurt's father's age. She was sitting with her legs over the side of the bed, blushing furiously.

"Um, hello Kurt, nice to see you again." The woman laughed.

Blaine noticed how Kurt's shoulders didn't tense up as she approached them, and he wasn't cowering away at all like he did around strangers, so he concluded that this woman wasn't one.

"You too, Carol," Kurt laughed as she glanced behind him at Blaine.

"Oh? And who's this?"

All eyes were on him and suddenly he became nervous.

"Hello, I'm Blaine. I'm Kurt's...friend."

Their relationship was very confusing at this point, so he decided it's best to stick with what he knew for sure- they're friends.

"Well hello Blaine, I'm Burt's caregiver." She shook his hand, then moved on to give Kurt some papers she held in her other.

"He's doing very well," she spoke to him hardly above a whisper, pointing a few things out on the papers to Kurt as they spoke privately.

Blaine stepped into the room to give them some space there in the doorway, and found himself standing awkwardly near Burt's bedside.

"Hello, Burt? I'm Blaine Anderson, I've been helping Kurt with, um, school and stuff lately."

_School and stuff._

Burt nodded, offering a friendly smile up at the boy from his bed.

"Well hey, I'm sorry you had to meet me like this," he began with a laugh, "I'm still recovering from a heart attack I had a while back, I don't get up and around much as of right now."

Despite his circumstances, Burt seemed surprisingly joyful. His smile didn't falter once, even when talking about his heart attack. Blaine guessed that smile had something to do with Carol.

Kurt's fingers laced discretely between his from behind and he pulled him back towards the door.

"We'll be studying in my room, dad, " he called over his shoulder as he practically dragged the shorter boy behind him.

"Keep the door open," he called after them, turning on the tv that sat at the end of his bed.

Kurt pulled Blaine into his room, and with surprising confidence pulled him into a kiss.

It was passionate and real, and Blaine knew something was there now that wasn't before.

He let Kurt move him backwards into the wall, let his arms slip around his waist.

When Kurt took a half step back, breaking for air, Blaine looked dazed, cheeks flushed.

Breathing heavier now than before, he looked up at the slightly taller boy.

"What was _that_ for?"

His question came out under his breath, further embarrassed by how dumbstruck he sounded.

Kurt laughed, a beautiful laugh that Blaine was sure he'd remember forever.

"I just..really like you, is all."

"I really..like you too."

They stood in silence for a minute or two, taking in the moment, each of them feeling like a boy who was falling in love.

The sound of Kurt's phone buzzing in his back pocket seemed to break them out of their trance.

Kurt raised an eyebrow at his phone; he wasn't at all used to getting texts.

He had a message from Rachel.

"Ugh," he groaned. She'd been up his ass about Glee club ever since he'd started blowing it off to see Blaine at the Lima Bean earlier every afternoon.

Blaine's head fell to the side, eyes full of curiosity.

"Kurt, if you miss one more Glee club meeting I'm telling Mr. Schue that you're not really sick. I can't keep lying for you, people are asking ME why you don't look sick in school," Kurt read aloud.

"Kurt, I don't want you changing your life for me."

"Huh?" Kurt looked up from his phone, tucking it back into his pocket.

"You...you want to stay here because of me. But Kurt, it isn't safe here for you. With those creeps lurking around every corner, it..you have to...someone has to tell the police."

Kurt's eyes went wide with fear, and Blaine's heart broke as he watched the boy's guarded self taking over again.

"You, n-no. I'm not g-going anywhere. This, this is all I've ever known, Blaine," Kurt's fists clenched at his sides and he took a step back, "my m..mom, she, lived h-here, with me, with d-dad, she-" Kurt's voice broke, a tear rolling down his face.

Blaine watched him carefully, trying to piece together the fragments of background he had been carefully picking up on.

"You're afraid to leave because that means leaving her?"

Kurt's eyes met Blaine's, hesitant, afraid to let someone see him like this- feeling, breaking down- letting himself be a _kid._

"It's..s-so hard, Blaine," Kurt choked out.

And the walls came crumbling down.

"I'm the only one who knows how he feels. I'm..I'm the only one who knew her..l-like he did, like family." More and more tears fell from his emotion-filled, bright blue eyes.

Blaine stepped closer to Kurt and didn't give him any chance to become defensive again before pulling him into his arms. He stroked the boy's hair and held him tightly, safely, letting his body quake with sorrow.

With the beautiful mess of a boy tight against his chest, hot tears falling onto his shoulder where Kurt nestled into the crook of his neck, Blaine finally pieced it all together. Kurt felt trapped here because when his mom passed away, he wasn't allowed time to mourn.

His grief had been shoved aside. He'd forced himself to be some false image of strong, where he couldn't be sad, couldn't feel anything. He'd taken on the grief and the responsibility and kept it all locked up; and it only got worse when his dad had his heart attack. Suddenly, this teenager had the entire world on his shoulders, and nobody could see far enough past their own pain to realize that his back was breaking under it.

"Kurt, baby..." Blaine breathed out, feeling Kurt's grip on his shirt tighten, "you're allowed to feel. You need to let go of all this sadness. Cry until you can't cry anymore, you've kept it in for too long." Tears stung at his own eyes, feeling so much sympathy for the shaking boy in his arms. "You're safe now."


	9. Safer Than Ever Before

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry I haven't posted in a while, I got a job and I've been super busy! This is just a quick little update while I'm writing the next chapter.

Kurt woke up before he realized he'd fallen asleep.

His head pounded with the dull ache of dehydration and his eyelids felt irritated and heavy.

He realized he'd fallen asleep in Blaine's arms- _while crying_ \- again.

Embarrassment overcoming him, he lifted himself up on his elbows, but felt something holding him back.

Blaine's arms were wrapped securely around his waist, and his chest was pressed up against his ribcage.

Blaine was _cuddling_ him in his sleep.

His face grew hot and he was actually glad Blaine was asleep so he couldn't see him blushing.

Slowly, cautiously settling back down into Blaine's embrace, Kurt felt himself overcome by sleepiness again.

He vaguely wondered what time it was, for a moment forgot _where_ he was, but in this boy's arms he felt like nothing else mattered.

He drifted off to sleep again, feeling safer than he'd ever felt before.


	10. Everyting Felt Okay

When Kurt woke up again, the sun shone through the window and lit up the entire room. Immediately, he was aware of the emptiness in the bed next to him.

"Blaine?"

He hated how vulnerable his voice sounded; fragile, quiet.

When there was no answer, he kicked the sheets off his body and got on his feet, apparently too quickly. His vision blurred for a second as the dizziness of malnutrition caught up with him.

Shaking his head as if it would cure him, he padded barefoot into the hallway and called Blaine's name again.

"Down here!" He heard the voice from the bottom of the staircase. He went down a few steps, then heard the mumbling voice of someone else. He froze, mind racing with paranoid possibilities.

_Maybe the jocks are holding him hostage, waiting to kill me? Oh my god what if his parents are home and they asked about me? Blaine said they weren't supposed to be home until the afternoon, they're on a business trip, but what if-_

"Kurt, it's okay, come on down."

He was convinced that Blaine was a mind reader at this point. Nervous, but for some reason trusting Blaine, he went down the last of the stairs.

_Shit_.

Sitting in a circle of couches in Blaine's living room were Kurt's dad, Carol, and 2 police officers.

Kurt took a step back, preparing to take off running, but Blaine stood up.

"Kurt, come here." His tone was anything but demanding. It was gentle, coaxing, and strangely convincing.

Every nerve in his body was tense, ready to run, yet he followed Blaine's order. Whatever this was, whatever they were going to do to him... _he trusted Blaine._

"Kurt, your um, your friend here, Blaine, was just telling us about how you've been harassed?" Asked a police officer holding a notepad.

Kurt swallowed audibly, shaking his head no. He felt betrayed.

His mind kept asking him, _why would Blaine want to get rid of me?_

Blaine took hold of his hand and brought him over to sit on a couch as the officer spoke again.

"Son, we can see the scar on your neck, right where Mr. Anderson told us it would be."

Kurt bit his lip anxiously and scooted closer to Blaine. Betrayed as he felt, he couldn't help but need the boy's comfort with every fibre of his being.

_This is it,_ he thought, _they're going to take me away forever and I'll never see Blaine or my dad ever again..._

"Listen Kurt, you need to tell us the truth so we can prevent this from happening again."

Kurt's eyes darted up to meet the officer's for a split second. He didn't want this to ever happen again. If they caught him one more time, they might kill him.

Glancing at his father and Carol, he saw that they both had tears in their eyes, but wore encouraging smiles.

He took in a deep breath and told the police everything.

They listened intently as he told them of every time he'd been slammed into a locker, nearly drowned in a toilet, and even about the knife incident.

They wrote down everything, and at one point Carol cried so much she had to leave the room to compose herself.

When every story had been told, Kurt's eyes remained fixated on the floor- but he didn't cry. He had no tears left in him.

"Thank you Mr. Hummel, that was very brave of you."

He nodded solemnly, still expecting any second for them to take him away. Burt was in no condition to take care of him, he knew that, and obviously they could see it too.

But they didn't take him.

They talked to Burt and Carol, they filled out some papers, but they didn't take him away.

_They just left_.

Kurt's eyes, full of confusion, met Blaine's.

Blaine gave him a huge smile.

"Did you really think I'd let them take you away from me?"

A similarly huge smile broke out on Kurt's face.

He dove forward into Blaine's chest, arms wrapping around him tightly as they both broke out into laughter.

"How did you do- I mean, what did you say to them?" Kurt's face glowed with excitement as he asked the question, leaning back from Blaine's embrace to look into his eyes.

"Well," Burt's voice interjected, and Kurt-remembering that they weren't alone- jumped back from the shorter boy in surprise, "They can't do anything about it if you have another, more capable legal guardian."

Confusion fell over Kurt's features, though excitement still glowed in his eyes.

"What does that mean?"

Burt took Carol's hand in his own and held them up, and that's when Kurt saw what he meant.

A ring-which caught the sun beautifully at the slightest tilt of her hand-was on her finger.

"No way..." Kurt gasped, hands covering his mouth.

"When Blaine told us about everything, I knew it was the perfect time-"

"I KNEW IT!" He yelled, cutting off his father mid-sentencd and throwing a fist in the air triumphantly, "Dad I knew you loved her, I knew it I knew it!"

Burt laughed as his son tackled him in a hug, unable to resist the infectious joy that practically radiated off of his son.

He made another dive back into Blaine's arms, giggling excitedly into his chest.

For the first time in a long time, he was excited for what was to come- and everything felt _okay_.


End file.
